The carelessness of our society (passively or actively) supporting corporate/capitalist political parties in the USA—Democratic and Republican parties—like those in virtually all ‘advanced’ nations, which incrementally strip us of our human rights at home and engage in capitalist imperialism abroad, reflected in Morrissey‘s brilliant song, “World Peace Is None of Your Business“, reminds me of the impassioned frustration my UMKC colleague DJ León-Ferman has expressed recently in his socioeconomic analysis. Many of us do not feel in the most profound depths of our being the injustices committed against others.

The politics of resignation mean that even people of conscience, even brilliant economists I’ve met at UMKC’s radical heterodox economics department, are satisfied with the status quo, such that they are content with doing nothing to help eliminate the suffering of our neighbours and those in foreign nations, which our imperialist armed forces bully with their military bases and self-serving foreign policies. Our society has forgotten the meaning of civic engagement. Many of us, with ways and means, feel that just going to work and making ourselves happy is enough to constitute a humanely-lived life, whilst others suffer greatly. Perhaps, it is; that is, until our police state is no longer satisfied with preying on the most vulnerable in our society. First they came for the most vulnerable…

—Messina

***

“World Peace is None of Your Business” (2014) by Morrissey

World peace is none of your business
You must not tamper with arrangementsWork hard and sweetly pay your taxes Never asking what for
Oh, you poor little fool; oh, you fool

World peace is none of your business
Police will stun you with their stun guns
Or they’ll disable you with tasers
That’s what government’s for
Oh, you poor little fool; oh, you fool

World peace is none of your business
So, would you kindly keep your nose out The rich must profit and get richer And the poor must stay poor
Oh, you poor little fool; oh, you fool

Each time you vote, you support the process
Each time you vote, you support the process
Each time you vote, you support the process
Brazil and Bahrain
Oh, Egypt, Ukraine
So many people in pain
No more, you poor little fool
No more, you fool